Thomas p



(No Model.) I

T. F. KRAJEWSKI.

'MAGHINE FOR BREAKING AND CUTTING- UANE. N0. 349,503.

Patented Sept. 21, 1886 i jzwmiar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. KRAJEWVSKI, OF N E\V YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JAMES L. OOOHRANE, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING AND CUTTING CANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,503, dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed July 23, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. KRAJEWSKT, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Machines for Breaking and Cutting Cane, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this machine is to prepare any kind of cane and other substances, more especially sugar-cane, so as to facilitate its crushing orpressing and the extraction ofjuice.

Sugar-cane is generally crushed by two or more smooth-faced rollers, which receive cane in the same condition as it is gathered in the field. It is impossible to space the cane so evenly throughout the length of the rollers that a uniform thickness of it will enter between them; hence, generally, there will be a great quantity of cane at certain points and very little'or possibly none at all at other points. Thus some portions of the cane will receive less pressure than others, and consequently much available juice is left in the cane. Rollers as ordinarily constructed have to break the cane as well as to express the juice, and hence it requires great power to do the work. This waste of power can be saved by the employment of a separate mechanism appropriate for the work of breaking or cutting the cane. I employ a separate mechanism for breaking or cutting the cane, so that it can be delivered to the mill in more uniform thickness throughout the length of the rollers, so as to reduce the work of the latter to pressing the cane. The pressing-rollers can then be placed nearer together than ordinarily, and greater pressure exerted on the cane, resulting in a yielding of a greater percentage of juice.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top View of a mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

The breaking or cutting mechanism consists, essentially, of two rollers, D E.

B designates the pressing-rollers or the mill.

C designates an endless carrier for the cane.

The rollers D and E are preferably composed of a number of collars keyed to or otherwise fastened on two shafts, d and e. The ends of Serial No. -1 712,404.

(No model.)

these shafts projecting beyond the collars form journals, which are supported in bearings A. These bearings are arranged on twopedestals or frames, F G. These rollers D E are provided externally with teeth. These teeth are approxi mately parallel to each other,and are zigzagged from end to end of the rollers or parallel with the axes thereof. The teeth of each roller do not, however, touch those of the other roller. The rollers are madeof collars fitted on shafts in the manner described, to facilitate their manufacture. The teeth on each collar run obliquely, and those of adjacent collars extend in reverse directions. In other words,the teeth 6 5 on alternate collars extend in the same direction, and the teeth on the intermediate collars extend at reverse inclines thereto. It will therefore be seen that continuous zigzag teeth extending from end to end of the rollers are formed by properly adjusting the collars on the shafts. The edges of the teeth are made more or less sharp, so asto cut or to break only, and not to primarily act as pressing devices. At the ends of the shafts d e are fastened two equal intermeshing gear-wheels, on, only one of which is shown in the drawings. These gear-wheels maintain the two rollers E D in the same relative position with their teeth intermeshing and equidistant from each other.

Provision will preferably be made for adjusting one of the rollers bodily toward and from. the other. This can be done by arranging the bearings of one in housings and combining screws with them in a well-known manner. Motion may be transmitted to these rollers through the agency of gear-wheels or belts and pulleys in any known way.

The pressing-rollers B may be of ordinary form provided with smooth surfaces, and arranged in frames in proper relation with each other to press the juice out of cane supplied to them. They may be closer together than ordinarily, because they have only to press the cane, and not to additionally break and cut it up.

The endless carrier 0 may be of any approved construction. The cane is carried by it up an incline to the rollersD E,and it descends thence along a downward incline or chute, L, to the rollers B. A bridge, H, extends between the carrier 0 and the rollers D E.

Below the roller D is a pan, N, for catching any juice which may run from the cane.

The operation is as follows: Cane is carried on the cane-carrier O and delivered on the bridge H, thereby bringing it within reach of the teeth of the breaking and cutting rollers D 13. These preferably run faster than the carrier 0, and will draw the cane between them, their teeth cutting and breaking it and partly squeezing it. lVhatever juice is expressed will fall into the pan N. The broken cane will fall on vthe incline or chute L and slide along the latter to the rollers of the grinding mill or rollers B, which press out as much of the remaining juice as possible.

By regulating the distance between the breaking'and cutting rollers D E the cane may be only broken and the teeth made to only partly cut into it, or the cane may be cut up into short pieces, as may be desired. I prefer the teeth of the rollers D E to run diagonally or in zigzag lines, because,as the caneis usually thrown on the carrier in various positions, it frequently reaches the rollers in a position parallel thereto, and, entering between the teeth thereof in the same parallel line, would be de livered from the rollers without being cut; but if the cane is placed on the carrier so as to pendicular to that of the pressing-rollers.

It may be desirable to have more than two cutting-rollers used, so as to break and cut up cane in very small pieces.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of rollers provided externally with more or less sharp teeth having a zigzag trend in the direction of the length of the rollers, said teeth intermeshing but not coming in contact with each other, and when interineshed being equidistant from each other, said rollers being geared together in. order to maintain their relative positions toward each other, substantially as specified.

T HOS. F. KRAJINVSKI.

W'itnesses:

DANIEL I-I. DmsooLL, JAS. It. BOWEN. 

